A violent incident that left three people injured has shaken lower Manhattan, after a former U.S. Army service member launched a coordinated attack on 26 Federal Plaza — a major federal government hub that houses the New York offices of the FBI, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The Federal Bureau of Investigation confirmed the arrest of 43-year-old Andrew Arrabaca, a Poughkeepsie, New York resident, following the Monday morning attack.
According to official statements from law enforcement leadership, Arrabaca arrived at the downtown building heavily armed. FBI New York Assistant Director James Barnacle told reporters the suspect was carrying multiple weapons: two axes, a machete, three additional knives, and a cache of fireworks. Before starting a fire on the building’s entrance staircase, Arrabaca opened fire with an airsoft pellet gun, discharging between five and seven rounds toward the building, Barnacle said.
After setting off the fireworks, Arrabaca poured accelerant across the entrance stairs, igniting a blaze that was quickly contained and extinguished by the New York City Fire Department. Federal agents on site intercepted the suspect and tackled him before he could cause further harm. Three people sustained non-life-threatening minor injuries in the chaos: two federal government employees, one on-site security officer who participated in subduing Arrabaca, and an immigrant who was at the building to attend an immigration status hearing. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) clarified that one bystander also suffered a minor grazing injury during the incident.
The FBI confirmed that Arrabaca made repeated anti-government and anti-ICE statements throughout the attack, leading Barnacle to characterize him as an anti-American, anti-government extremist. DHS has also labeled the suspect an “anti-ICE rioter.” The BBC has reached out to DHS for additional comment on the incident, as of yet no further statement has been released.
CBS News, the BBC’s U.S. news partner, has verified that Arrabaca served in the active-duty U.S. Army from 2001 to 2004, before transferring to the New York Army National Guard, where he served from 2004 to 2005. He never received an overseas deployment during his service, and left the military with the rank of specialist, with no prior reported violent criminal record tied to his military service.
26 Federal Plaza has long been a flashpoint for public demonstrations, particularly for protests targeting hardline immigration policies enacted by former President Donald Trump. In the wake of the attack, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani issued a public statement on the social platform X condemning the violence. “This incident is deeply disturbing,” Mamdani wrote. “Our administration will continue to ensure that every New Yorker is safe in their city — and hold accountable any who threaten that safety.”